Rikki's Big Secret
by Sunset17
Summary: No one knew who Rikki really is...Zelda B Hoiely! But what happens when her friends find out?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This chapter was edited by KatAndEmmy.**

**Chapter One**

_April 7 2011. Aged 14_

_Zelda Brainella Hoiely. In case it's hard to tell because of the weirdness of it all, that's a name. I know what you're thinking - yeouch. That's exactly what I thought when my parents gave me that name. It's one of the reasons why I've never written in this diary before; I didn't want to say anything about my name. It's so embarrassing… My dad was kinda disappointed when he got me this diary and I wouldn't write in it. I plastered this over exaggerated grin on my face and everything and Dad actually fell for it. But today he asked me if I'd written in the diary yet, and when I told him the truth, he was crestfallen. He got it for me last year and I guess he was expecting me to have written in it already. So here I am, writing in it now. As much as I despise my dad sometimes for giving me such an awful name, I still love him. I don't really have much to write about though. Right now, I'm just sitting here, staring at a fake plastic candle. Dad got that for me too, when my mum died. He said it will remind me that Mum's soul will always glow inside me. Or something like that._

After thinking for almost ten minutes of anything else to write, I closed my new journal. Well, it wasn't new, but this was the first time I had ever used it. And don't go accusing me of being a bad daughter for never using something my dad wanted me to use so badly, or anything like that. It's not my fault I have such a boring life. Or at least, had. I guess you could say that my life is a lot more interesting now, ever since I started afresh…

**Four months later**

_Knock-knock-knock!_

After a few knocks, the trailer door swung open to reveal a short bland looking man with a receding hairline and a greying beard.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Rikki." I said it without thinking. I had been calling myself that for a while now - in my head of course, since my father would know something was going on if I called myself Rikki aloud. "I'm homeless. Please take me in," I begged, and as easy as that, the man opened the door wider, smiling.

"Welcome," he greeted, then added, "daughter," with a wink. As I stepped inside, I wondered, was my real father okay? Was this man trustworthy? Had I made the right choice leaving my home?

**Two years later**

"Um… Rikki." Cleo chose me. She, Emma and I were sitting in the café on a hot summer's day, sipping smoothies and playing a game of truth or dare. Or, as we liked to call it, truth or truth. When we were playing it in the café at least. I met Cleo and Emma shortly after I moved into the trailer with that guy who I now know as Terry, and who I address as Dad.

"Hmm… What would your parents have named you if they couldn't call you Rikki?" Cleo finally asked.

"Zelda," I answered. I wouldn't have told most people that, but Cleo and Emma are my best friends; we tell each other everything. After all, having been called Zelda in the past was nothing in comparison to the secret that I share with my best friends now. Believe it or not, we're mermaids. As Emma, Cleo and I laughed at the stupidity of the name Zelda, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I took it out and tapped 'answer.'

"Hey, Rikki. It's Lewis. Are the others with you?"

"Hey," I replied. "Yep. We're at the café."

"Can you guys meet me on the beach in ten? I found some information about a missing girl named Zelda who loved water, but during the days leading up to her disappearance, she avoided water. I think she could be a mermaid too."

I couldn't speak. My mouth felt as dry as sawdust.

"Rikki? Are you still there?"

"Uh… She… She can't be…" I eventually managed.

"Well I think she is. She could have become a mermaid, and then ran away from home when the anxiety got to her. Or maybe she swam away."

"Okay… Well, I'll tell the others to meet you at the beach then. Bye."

I cut off the call before I could drop the phone - my hands were shaking hard. Was this me that Lewis was talking about? Or was it pure coincidence that we shared such an uncommon name? After all, I didn't avoid water back when I was Zelda...

"Guys, I've gotta go, and you need to go and meet Lewis on the beach. Tell him I couldn't make it. I have to go and help my dad with something."

"Why do we need to meet him?" Emma asked, but by that time, I had already leapt off of my chair and sprinted out of the café.  
When I arrived back at the trailer, I sat down on my bed and took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. I then proceeded to pull my phone out of my pocket again, and google my real father - Manny F. Hoiely. I clicked on the first website that came up. The title screamed:

_MANNY HOIELY'S DAUGHTER MISSING_

As I thought about my two fathers - my stressed but loving adoptive father, and my depressed and alone real father - I did the only thing I could. I cried.

It took four minutes before I yelled in grief.

Another seven as I sobbed.

Then three more as I went back to crying silently.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

As I dabbed at the remnants of my tears with a tissue, my phone vibrated again. I peered at the screen to see who it was. Cleo. I picked up and tried to act cheerful.

"Hey Rikki," Cleo said. "We need you to come down to the beach. We've found out more about Zelda!"

"Zelda is not a mermaid," I stated firmly.

"She might be."

"She is not!"

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do."

"How?"

"I just… know it."

"Why are you so against this? First, you ran out on us in the café, and now this. I'm sick of it and so is Emma."

With that, Cleo hung up. Her words felt like a slap to the face. Maybe it would be best to just come clean, and tell them my true identity. I slowly exited the trailer and headed to the beach, debating whether to tell my friends the truth. Would they understand? Or would it make them hate me even more?

I swallowed and blinked rapidly, once again on the verge of tears. I was trying so hard to stop myself from crying that I didn't even notice when a boy sat down next to me until he spoke.

"You okay, Rikki?" Zane asked in concern.

"I'm perfectly fine," I said, trying to sound confident that that was true, but who was I kidding? "Scrap that. No! I'm not fine! I'm not even Rikki!"

**Zane's POV**

Rikki… wasn't Rikki? What was that supposed to mean? Well, she wasn't acting like Rikki. She didn't usually wear her heart on her sleeve - the Rikki I knew would never talk about her feelings. Could this have possibly been some alien living inside Rikki's body?

"Zane! I'm still the Rikki you know! I'm just… not called Rikki!" she sobbed.  
Of course it wasn't an alien. I was just being stupid. But wait. She wasn't called Rikki…?

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"M-my real name is… Z-Zelda," she stuttered.

My eyes widened. "As in, Zelda Hoiely? The girl who went missing two years ago?" Rikki - Zelda - nodded.

"Do the others know?"

"No. I don't know how to tell them!"

"You have to tell them. They're your best friends. They'll understand."

"I was a bad daughter to Manny. I don't want them know that! They won't understand. They will judge me. They'll hate me."

"Rikki, no one could ever hate you. I don't, and you've told me. I didn't judge you, did I?"

"I guess not..." Rikki sniffled, and I realised how hard this was for her. It was an enormous secret and she had to cope with it all by herself. I had offered her my support, but I couldn't help her, not really. I could give her advice, like telling her that she should come clean to Cleo, Emma, and Lewis, but that was her choice.

I sat still for a few moments, holding Rikki while she cried quietly, then finally said, "Rikki. You need to tell Emma and Cleo."

"No!" she shouted forcefully.

Then another voice came, "Tell us what?" I looked up to see Emma standing in front of us.

I looked at Rikki, silently daring her to tell her best friend, but of course, the stubborn girl wouldn't.

"Well, you see..." I began, but trailed off. If Rikki wasn't ready to tell her friends, then I couldn't tell them either. It was her secret and her choice who she wanted to tell. "Rikki is enemies with Zelda," I lied. "She has been for as long as she can remember, and she doesn't want you guys to get involved in it."

"Oh my gosh, Rikki! I really had no idea! I'm so sorry! Can you forgive us?"  
"Maybe," Rikki said, starting to smile. It was a small, watery smile, but a smile at least. Progress.

Emma smiled too. "Meet me and Cleo at the Juice Net in thirty minutes." With that, Emma headed back in the direction of the beach.

"Thanks Zane," Rikki said, hugging me tightly. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well, I am one of a kind..." I joked.

"Zane!" she shouted, giggling and giving me a playful shove.

I reached out to tickle her but she leapt away from me and started running, shrieking with laughter. I jumped up too and chased her. As I caught her, she gave me a losing smile, then did the thing I had been waiting for. She gave me one of the biggest signs of love there is - a kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rikki's POV**

The soft slap of my shoes echoed as Zane and I walked to the café. I realized I truly do love him, even if half of the time he's the devil himself. I relaxed as he puts his arm around my waist, somehow shutting the mixed thoughts out of my mind. Suddenly my emotions burst out.

"Zane!" I sobbed, stopping and holding tight to his waist. "Zane, I can't face my friends after I've done this!"

"Rikki! They don't know, you don't have to tell them!" He rubbed my back.

"Oh but I can't lie! Don't you see that?! I've lied too many times!" I bawled.

Zane kissed me, trying to soothe me, but the kiss was just a peck, almost like a deeper hug - no romance. I started sobbing so loudly that Zane had to pull me into a garage of the UPS trucks for Australia. I collapsed in his hands, for I had used up all my might bawling like a weak crybaby. Zane's soft brown eyes gazed at me with concern as I fell into his hands.

"Rikki! _Rikki_! Rikki, wake up!..."

**Zane's POV**

Rikki lay in my arms, unconscious. The majestic garage we were in quivered. Trucks of every size loomed over Rikki and me. The trucks all had an open back, which probably had been stuffed with goods previously. My attention travelled back to Rikki, for she was still passed out in my hands. Perhaps it bad been her sobbng, that really took her breath. Suddenly the garage door began to close. I dragged Rikki along with me as I rushed to get out of the huge truck garage. We were going so slow and the door would shut in ten seconds.

The garage door creaked as it started to close. I did some fast thinking; it was either me out, or no one. It was tough, but I held back and stayed with Rikki. She was the love of my life, after all.

_BOOM!_

The garage door closed, leaving me and Rikki inside.

"Bernie, check for intruders!" a growling voice spat out.

"Yes sir!" came the reply, from someone who I could only presume was Bernie.

Wait, he was going to find me! Oh no! _What should I do? _I wondered silently. Quickly, I pulled Rikki and myself into a truck. I could hear Bernie walking towards us. Just as I started to get comfortable with what was going on, I made a move that changed my life. Rikki slipped out of my hands an on to the floor. Horror struck me as Bernie rounded the corner. I feared I had made a mistake that would lead Rikki to her doom!

**Rikki's POV**

The cold metallic floor jolted me awake as I slammed down onto it. Where was I? I was in a giant garage, lined with… well, I guess about 200, UPS trucks. A strange young man squinted at me. I got up and brushed dust of my pants.

"What are you look'in at!" I snapped.

"Uh... nothing..." His eyes darted around as if afraid of something.

"Ma'am, your in private property," he said politely.

"Oh…" I trailed off.

"C'mon!" he said, looking behind himself, AGAIN! He started walking along the huge trucks, leading me somewhere. I followed, curious.

"By the way, my name's Bernie." He waited for me to introduce myself.

"Oh...I'm Ze-" I paused "Rikki."

"Hi Zerikki!" he joked.

We walked until we came to a door. Bernie opened it, letting me out.

"Thanks Bernie!" I said with a smile as I stepped out of the garage. He smiled, then shut the door leaving me wondering how I ever got on the cold garage floor in the first place.

**Bernie's POV**

Wow! I knew that there must be some guy out there who was lucky enough to have her! What kind of a guy would turn down the opportunity to date someone like Rikki, with her beautiful wavy blonde hair, and sparkling blue eyes that leave an impression too advanced to erase...

But why was she even in the garage anyway? I thought to myself, but simply shrugged as I knew I wouldn't be able to come up with an answer any time soon. By the looks of it, even she didn't know the reason.

I headed towards all the trucks. My boss wanted me to fire up truck 89. Funny; that was the truck Rikki was near... Oh well.

_CLOMP! CLOMP! _My shoes slapped against the cold metallic floor. Once I reached truck 89, I pulled down the back. All the goods were loaded up. I sighed happily; work was done for the day. I hauled myself up into the front seat of the truck and started up the engine, then got out and slammed the door shut. Truck 89 was going to California tonight. I sighed, thinking about how far California was. All the way in the US. I sighed dreamily, thinking of Rikki once more. That beautiful girl... AH! I snapped back to reality, but it didn't take long to realize that Rikki was the reality I was trying to get away from. She was reality. It's hard to imagine her as reality. Maybe she's an angel that somehow got mixed in with humans. I froze, realizing what was happening. I was crushing on Rikki!

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**Hey guys! I hope you like this chapter, pls review! I have seen that it has had over 800 views but only like 5 reviews so far! Waaaaaaaaaa! so pls review! Reviewers of all chapters may get a sneak peak or their OC fetured in one of my stories! :) Review and r!**


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